deoxyribonucleotidediphosphates

Deoxyribonucleic acid, commonly known as DNA, is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning, and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses. DNA consists of two long strands that coil around each other to form a double helix. Each strand is composed of a chain of nucleotide subunits. These nucleotides contain a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogenous bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). The order of these bases along the DNA molecule forms the genetic code.

The two strands of the DNA double helix are held together by hydrogen bonds between the bases. Adenine always pairs with thymine, and guanine always pairs with cytosine. This complementary base pairing is crucial for DNA replication, the process by which DNA makes copies of itself. During replication, the two strands separate, and each strand serves as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand. This ensures that genetic information is accurately passed from one generation of cells to the next.

DNA is organized into structures called chromosomes within the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. Genes, which are specific segments of DNA, contain the instructions for building proteins, the workhorses of the cell. The sequence of bases in a gene determines the sequence of amino acids in a protein, which in turn dictates the protein's structure and function. Understanding DNA is fundamental to genetics, molecular biology, and medicine.